Excellent book, especially for those unfamiliar with the history of surfing. Typically I don'y read history books, but this one stayed fairly interesting. The authors knew their stuff and did a good job in presenting it in an engaging manner. Recommended for any one curious about surfing. ( )

This is an exceptional book on the overall culture and evolution of the sport of surfing. Written by two UC professors who created a college course about it, you will learn about the innovations, commerce, military-industrial complex and the way that cultural ties and prominent people wove together the history of surfing into the global sport we know of today. Highly recommended.

This is a great book about the history of surfing. Such a thorough, in-depth look at the sport of surfing. The authors certainly did their homework that much is quite clear. I will say the book was a bit tedious for what I considered to be a lighter topic. The book was at times a bit difficult to wade through, but that's a history book for you. I would suggest this book to anyone remotely interested in the long and storied history of surfing. ( )

this is a book that should be required reading in school. i'm a surfer and i was unaware of quite a bit of this. not only did you get history, hawaii beginings.... social and economic changes.... surfing has contributed to history (especially ww2) that noone knows about. they should know it, from wet suits to divers in the navy.... people have the misconception of surfing anyway and that's ok but these are things that get left out of the history books that i feel should be know. inspire invention and thinking outside the box. must read ( )

The World in the Curl offers a wide slice of the history and impact of surfing from its inception in Hawaii to 2012. Westwick and Neushul cover just about every possible aspect from technological developments, issues of sexism and racism, and the various well-known surf personalities.
Their writing style is quick and easy to read while going in depth into the points they are trying to make. I loved this book and was pleased with the historical analysis approach. If you enjoy or are interested in surf or Hawaiian/Californian culture, this is a great exploration. ( )